Colorado became the first state to allow recreational marijuana sales last year. And now, millions of tax dollars are rolling in for funding school construction, marijuana education campaigns and armies of marijuana inspectors and regulators.

But under a legal snarl, the state may be forced to return that money to marijuana consumers, growers and the public, which the lawmakers do not want to do.

A strict anti-spending provision in the state Constitution, touching every corner of public life, like school funding, state health care, local libraries and road repairs, is the main problem.

Under the voter-approved provision, named the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, the technical tripwires may require Colorado to refund around $60 million in marijuana taxes. This is because the state's overall revenue estimates were too low when the marijuana tax question was put to voters.

Lawmakers are looking for the ways to keep that money with them, and hoping that Colorado voters, who usually get stingy when it comes to taxes and spending, will let them do so.

As part of a rare bipartisan agreement on taxes, the legislators have come together for a bill that would seek voters' permission to keep the marijuana money.

Michael Elliott, executive director of the Denver-based Marijuana Industry Group, which is a trade organization that has not taken a position on the refund issue, said, "Despite our anti-tax feelings in the state, there's an exception being made when it comes to marijuana".

Groups are full of anti-tax feelings in Colorado, as some of them said that they would fight any effort to deprive the public of a refund, no matter if it amounts to only $11 or less per person.

Gregory Golyansky, president of the Colorado Union of Taxpayers, said the money should go back to the taxpayers.